Local bassist, composer, educator, and performer Paul Keller said the current pandemic brought a brief end to his playing and performing to the point he almost forgot how to do it. Almost. Now he's back at it in new and creative ways sharing live jazz music with the community, even composing some 40 new songs.
He talks with WEMU's Lisa Barry about how the joy of jazz has inspired him to keep the music alive and how you might see him performing in your neighborhood as the current global health crisis plays out.
Keller says when the pandemic first began, he stopped playing his string bass for a while and realized he was a bit out of practice when he picked it back up. But he was so delighted to be making music again he says it brought tears to his eyes.
Now Keller and fellow local jazz musicians are playing Facebook live concerts and have even started performing in people's driveways in properly socially distancing scenarios.
Keller says the pandemic has inspired him to write 40 new pieces of music over the past few months, and he says he is delighted to be back playing and performing and creating new music.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
